MILTON — Norwell has felt the heartbreak and the elation that playing in a state final can bring.
The Clippers got to experience the latter again Saturday.
After falling in last year’s state championship bout, the top-seeded Clippers secured an undefeated season and their second Division 3 state boys soccer title in three years by edging No. 4 Greater New Bedford Voke, 1-0, at Curry College’s Katz Field.
“I just have a tremendous sense of pride and admiration and love for this group for the way they were able to, in this game, stay physically tough,” Norwell head coach Micheal O’Dea said. “But all season long, from this time last year, to stay mentally strong and engaged and brave enough to dream and get to this point again.
“It takes a lot to get here. To then perform like that, I find it hard to find the words.”
It was fitting that senior star forward Bret Amorosino netted the decisive goal for Norwell (23-0-1).
The Clippers pounded Greater New Bedford keeper Benjamin Viera with shots but weren’t able to break the scoreless deadlock until the 53rd minute when Amorosino received a pass from Peter Cohane before spinning around and burying his shot into the bottom right corner for his 29th goal of the season.
“It’s just an unreal feeling,” Amorosino said. “We have a lot of players — Ben Garland, Noal Simmons, Mac Dyment, Peter Cohane, Jake McGuirk — who feed me the ball. I’m super grateful for players like those who put their trust in me and trust me to put the ball in the back of the net because I think that’s what I do best.”
Greater New Bedford (18-5) nearly opened the scoring before Norwell when Aiden Andrade got behind the Clippers’ defense just four minutes into the second half. But Norwell senior goalie Nicholas Fein robbed Andrade by making a sensational diving stop to his right.
“Going through my head was just stuff my goalie coaches have taught me,” Fein said. “Stay low, be ready to react to the ball and that’s exactly what I did.”
Fein, who was in his first season starting in net for the Clippers after previously being a field player, and the rest of Norwell’s defensive unit handled any chances the Bears‘ dynamic attack got following Amorosino’s tally to ensure the state title returned to the South Shore.
“We put in so many hours, all the work,” Amorosino said. “We build a chemistry from day one. It’s just a super unreal feeling.”
